Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-10-07
IMPORTANT CASES
BEFORE THE SUPREME COURT OF
NORTH CAROLINA.
Election Laws Involved singular Di-
vorce Case Railroad Matters
Several Fires.
lspecial Telegram 70 the pIspatch.l

| tiCCllOu INV OI NOTlu OhTOllutt aQC
particularly the power of the county
boards Of canvassers. The decision il
these cases is looked for with con.
siderable anxiety by politicians, on ac
count of the fact that it will settle
the scope of the powers of these board.
of canvassers. The election next yeal
will be vital one to North Carolina
and these matters are of the highest
importance. The particular question
involved in these cases is whether these
boards have any judicial functions, the
language Of the statute being that they
shall judicially determine the returns
of election. The case will settle the
question as to whether judicially mean;
| Judicial or not.
A very remarkable case was tried
yesterday in the Criminal Court il
New Hanover county. A young man
named John Switzerland sued for q
| divorce from his wife Melissa. He
was the girls sweetheart, but was in nc
haste about marrying her. Her father,
William Turley, concluded to force
matters and one day waylaid Souther
land. Hurley was accompanied by
magistrate and several other
men. 1urley drew revolver.
and holding it at Southerland',
head made him promise that he would
then and there marry the girl. Miss
Turley was then produced and the
magistrate married them. The groom
went TO the brides house under com
pulsion, but left in a little while and
never returned. He claimed that he
was forced intothe marriage against his
wish. The jury found the facts to be
as above stated and that SOutherland's
conduct towards her was always exem-
plsry, and granted an absolute divorce
Tie wife did not appear in person or
by counsel.
The sheriff Of Forsyth county to-day
brought three convcts to the peniten-
tiary, one OF whom, a negro boy aged
seventeen years, had already served two
terms.
At n bar-room eight miles from Max
ton, Robson county, yesterday, there
was cutting and shooting affair, in
which William Memery was shot
through the lungs. probably fatally.
Major John G. Winder reports that
twenty miles Of the Durham and North
e1n railway have been located, ana that
next week the road will be let to con-
tractors for grading. The road will as
suredly be built.
Citizens of Newberne held an i'm
pOrtaDt meeting last night concerning
the extension of the Atlantic and North
Carolina railway TO the Cape-Fear aud
YsdkinV Valley railway at Sanford. A
committee was raised to visit Raleigh
and submit plans for the above extern
sion to Governor Scales. Another com
mittee will lay plans before the Cape
Fear and Yadkin-Valley roads direc-
tors. Action WAS taken TO induce the
people of Carteret, Pamlico, Lenoir,
and Wayne to cooperate in this move
ment for extension.
The large saw-milIs and dry-kilns of
+. NJ. Short. at Washington, have been
burned. The loss aggregates $40,
Quantities of lumber were saved. There
was only $4,000 insurance. Last win
ter these mills were burned, causing
heavy loss.
The gin house and a quantity of cot
ton belonging to l.. Y. Morrill,, in Pitt
county, have been burned. The loss is
covered by insurance.
The commissioners of Buncombe
county yesterday decided to call an
election on the question whether the
county shall subscribe 800. 900 to the
capital stock of any or all four of the
projected railways which are to run to
Asheville. The time of the election
will be fixed next month.
The name of the Pitt county man
who deserted his wife and pretending
TO be unmarried married the daughter
of q United States officer at Fort Mon
roe is Joseph \. Williams. The de-
serted wife is now at Greensville. Her
age Is about twenty-lour years.
The weather continues perfect Such
an autumn is seldon seen. The Com
missioner of Agriculture reports that
cotton is being picked withune1ampled
rapidly.
Work on the State exhibit at the
State Fair has begun. 1t will be quite
elaborate, and ia fact great EXHIBIT.
1t will be displayed in the south wing
Of the exposition building, the size OF
that part being 335x50 feet.
The Brewer insurance suits (which
grew ont of the burning OF the Brewer
mills some years ago. have at last all
been compromised. The last was dis
posed of at Greensboro day before yes
terday, and $1,000 was the considera-
ton.
Rev. William NJ. Robey, editor of
the NcthOdjSt AdUaacc, of Goldsboro',
was married there Tuesday evening to
Mrs. n. Il. Granger.
The internal-revenue collections in
the Fifth district during September
were $4,000 In this (the Fourth
district they were $l05,00O.
The increase in the number Of assem-
blies of the Farmers Alliance con-
times. lis growth is surprisingly rapid,
and by the end of this year it will have
branches in every county in North
Carolina.
At the State University society for
the special study of North Carolina
history has been organized. President
Kemp p. Battle is at the head OF this
commendable movement. North Caro-
linians, as a rule, have remarkably lit
tie acquaintance with the curious and
history of their own State.
In the way of research in this direction
much has been done in the past few
years.
Father J. B. White, long in charge
of the Church of the Sacred Heart
(Roman Catholic in this city, has been
TO duty vt Asheyille, and |
Father j. j. Reilly, of Newberne, will
come here.
Many of the factories in the State
will shut down for a couple OF days
during the fair in order to give their
employees an opportunity to see the
1t is the first time this has
been done, and it is a good sign.
The gas-works at Newberne were
partially burned yesterday.